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SDR STORE

The Amateurs Code

The original Amateur’s Code was written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928. Although the code has been updated to reflect current realities, today ham radio operators take this code as seriously as their counterparts did in 1928.

The Amateur’s Code

The Radio Amateur is:

CONSIDERATE…never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL…offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE…with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

FRIENDLY…slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED…radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC…station and skill always ready for service to country and community.

Friday, April 10, 2015

The sweet early days of spring is time to make ready for a new season of storms. How prepared are you for lightning, rain, wind & hail to come visit you and your homestead? As seasons change, the number of storm events across the country increase in intensity & frequency. Strong winds & heavy rains often blow up in minutes with flooding, power outages, & wind damage the result. In preparing for a season of storms, it is power outages & wind damage the most common threats, so consider what you need to counter both.
For electrical outages, your prep list may include back-up power from a generator or battery bank.

In most instances power is usually restored within hours, but plan on at least a days worth of back-up just to be safe. You don't need a huge back-up system, but is is nice to have something that can power some lights, a fan, or your comm gear.

Speaking of Comm Gear, as Ham Operators, we are usually more prepared than most to monitor weather events around the shack, with radios, computers & other gadgets that can alert us of storms & such. But for those new to Prepping, a great item to acquire is a weather radio, specifically made to monitor the National Weather Service radio frequencies which sends out automatic Severe Weather Alerts & Bulletins.

Most are simple desktop battery powered units, but some are available with built-in flashlights & able to charge cellphones & other devices. While all the whistles & bells are nice, the most important feature is the weather alarm function which goes off when the NWS spots dangerous weather in the area, giving precious minutes for everyone to take cover. In parts of the country where tornadoes are frequent, owing a weather alarm radio can be the difference between life & death.

Often the aftermath can be worse than the storm itself. Storms packing high winds often cause wind damage, torn up homes, roof damage from fallen tree limbs or smashed windows. A mess in itself, but what really makes things worse is in the damage which occurs to household things with exposure to the outside.

It's often necessary to have a way to cover things up. A smart idea is to always keep handy a heavy duty plastic tarp. Not only can a tarp offer temporary cover for roof damaged homes, it has many other handy uses as canopies or an outdoor primitive shelter.

Wherever you live, count on the occasional storm to come & however you prepare, count on prepping to weather a storms fury. Most often, if you prep for nature, you will have prepped for most dramatic events that may ever come your way.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Small wind turbines scaled to the right size for residential and urban areas have so far lived in the shadows of their larger wind-farm-sized counterparts. The power output has been too low for a reasonable return on investment through energy savings and the noise they produce is louder than most homeowners can deal with. READ MORE